| 7.25.2007
Sexy,
outspoken entertainer Sandra Bernhard has always had a loyal
gay following. From her start on the "Richard Pryor
Show,” a role as a lesbian on "Roseanne,” her friendship
with Madonna, one-woman shows, and the recent heated exchange
with the ladies on "The View,” Sandra always gives us
something to talk about.
Her show, "An Evening With Sandra Bernhard,” will include
the brash comedy, spot-on social commentary and heartfelt music
that we all love and expect from the performer. A portion of
the proceeds from the two performances at Colony Theatre will
benefit Switchboard of Miami's GLBT Suicide Awareness Initiative.
411 caught up with Sandra last week to see what we should
expect from her show.
411 Magazine: How has your comedy changed from your early
material?
Sandra Bernhard: I think as I’ve evolved as a person and as
a mother and the way culture has devolved as opposed to evolve.
. .culturely and politically, I’ve changed with it. I connect
with the audience to make people think.
How would you describe your political beliefs?
Good old fashioned liberal. All the things I was raised to
believe – feminism, equality, compassion.
Are your parents liberal?
Yes, they were. My father isn’t liberal anymore. I don’t get
it. But my mother is. I take her cue.
So... Hillary or Obama?
I like both. I also love Dennis Kucinich. I love John Edwards.
I wish I could get all of them and put them together to make
one great candidate. I like Hillary. I think she has a lot
of demons to
contend with. Obama is a good person. A little green. Whoever
wins would certainly be an
upbeat change from what we’ve had to endure
the past seven years.
You are known as a really strong woman. What women do you
admire?
The same kinds of women – Camille Paglia, Maureen Dowd, Lily
Tomlin, and I guess Hillary Clinton. She is certainly a dynamic
woman.
And my friends Chrissie Hynde and
Natalie Maines.
Oh, I love Natalie Maines.
As a person, as a friend, she is more than what you’d expect.
She’s such a real person.
What comedians do you like to see?
Paul Mooney who discovered me years ago. I love Jack Black,
Dave Chappelle. I don’t really go out to see comedians.
Which leads me to my next question. What was the last concert
you saw?
I just saw Stevie Nicks, who I love and admire. I am more
inclined to see music than comedy.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Guitar Hero. A friend of mine in L.A. has it. I wouldn’t want
it in my own home. It’s really fun and crazy.
Has having a daughter changed you and
your act?
No. I’m still as bitchy and out there as ever. I think time
changes you. I wouldn’t do things I would do at 25. You evolve
through things. I’m certainly not representing motherhood.
I talk about it, but in a unique way.
Does your daughter have a similar sense of humor to yours?
She does have a similar sense of humor. Definitely a much
more sensitive person than I am. She’s quite a unique person.
Is she into something you just don’t get?
No, not at all. She’s listening to Leonard Cohen. She’s doing
everything right.
Really? How old is she?
She just turned nine. It’s all in what you expose your kids
to. If you set them in front of the TV and have them watch
Disney, they will become Disneyfied.
If you play them Joni Mitchell. . . you have to set the tone.
You can’t be manipulated by the consumerism of it all.
You’ve been on many TV shows. Which one would you love love
love to be on?
Friday Night Lights. I know it’s crazy. I would be really
happy to play some transplanted New York mother. It’s the most
brilliantly written show on television. It really captures
the zeitgeist of what’s happening in America.
Okay, I am going to name random names and places. Tell me
the first thing that comes to your mind.
South Beach.
My favorite Cuban restaurant. I
can’t think of the name right now. When I go there, I immediately
want to eat Cuban food.
Paris Hilton.
She doesn’t exist for me at all in any shape or form. I’ll
say "invisible.”
Roseanne.
Brilliant, timeless, iconoclastic.
Elizabeth Hasselback.
Kind of sad. I don’t want to say pathetic, but sad and pathetic.
American Idol.
Destructive.
The ’80s fashion comeback.
Redundant.
Madonna.
Legendary, entertaining.
Courtney Love (in her newest incarnation)
Disappointing.
Sandra impersonators.
I love it. To me, it’s the highest compliment. You know you
made it.
What should your fans expect from your upcoming South Florida
appearance?
An explosive, brilliant, energetic performance. I love the
show because I am back in the midst of audience. I feel more
connected to the audience than I have in the last few shows.
Musically, it’s really fun, sexy, crazy, uplifting. Everything
you’d want from an evening out.
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